Whenever someone asks me if Santa Claus exists, I always respond the way my dad did when, as a child, I'd ask him.

If you believe in Santa, then he is real!

This Christmas, although the boys could neither ask nor respond to that question, they learned that Santa is as real and as strange as can be. After waiting in line at the mall last week for 30 minutes just to get a picture with him, they high-fived Santa just before I sat them on his lap. Then they promptly screamed.

I'm sure they'll change their minds about the old man as the years pass, especially if he brings them a train table tomorrow morning. Something tells me the elves are already working hard tonight on putting it together. In fact, I can hear them hammering as I type!

Ho, Ho, Ho . . . Merry Christmas! ---SM

(Almost) every year since I was a kid, my family has made dozens and dozens of santa cookies to eat and share with friends and neighbors. It's a holiday tradition we adopted from our family friend way back when I can remember we were baking them at her house---and that was when I was more of an eater than a baker.

A group of at least six kids would run circles around the kitchen, waiting for the freshest batch of santa cookies to be decorated so that we could devour. I guess having such good memories of those times has prompted me to continue the tradition as an adult---some years Justin and I pounded them out when we lived away from family, and this year I reunited with my sister and mom to cut some more dough.

The end result is delicious, but the best part always is the process. ---SM

Oh Boy (#1),



Oh Boy (#2),



OH BOY (#3)! ---SM

It's hard to believe, but the boys have respected the Christmas tree and all its trimmings this season...so far. We had a sit-down talk a few weeks ago when it first joined our living room, and the boys seemingly understood the no-touch rule (with subsequent and frequent reminders).

They do enjoy gazing at the tree, and every morning when we come downstairs for breakfast, Kellen rushes toward it, points, then says something that indicates he wants me to plug in the lights. I do, and he and Grant get as close as they can to "ooh" and "ahhh" and "uh-oh" should something mysteriously fall off the tree! ---SM

About mid-day, the boys will stand at their high chairs and say "dah, dah," then point to their art work hanging on the side of the fridge. They are asking me if they can draw with their color crayons, and for about a week, we've had regular coloring sessions. Unfortunately, Grant must believe that each color looks tempting enough to eat, and he nibbles off the sharp end of the crayons actually chewing them into tiny bits. I end up performing a dangerous mouth sweep, careful to avoid all those teeth, to remove any remnants.

Kellen thinks it's funny when I ask Grant not to chew, so he puts his crayons in his mouth just to mimic Grant. At least he's figured out it's not so great-tasting to eat. ---SM

Last night Becky and I drove up to San Francisco to see Jersey Boys---the musical about Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. I had a blast:

1. not only because the show is a must-see if you can like oldies tunes and can stand a little Jersey street-talk,

2. but my old friend Becky and I were able to trade stories about our one-year-olds and our babies-to-be. We're already mourning the time when our ankles will go into hiding from edema...

3. and, of course, my heart just beats stronger in the middle of a big city.

Today I had the chance to watch a friend's baby boy and see my own boys interact with him. A small but insightful moment for me: I'd never before pictured what three kids would be like, let alone three boys, and it unfolded so pleasantly on my family room floor.

The boys were intrigued by the new boy: they rubbed his head and bowed down to give him head butts (the gentle version that is their way of kissing). They shared with him and even cried when he tried to take their toys away. All the normal, natural stuff that made my heart happy.

Girl or boy, it doesn't matter---next week we'll find out what number three will be! ---SM


Above: Kellen goes in to hug his new friend.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
I wanted one of your cousins
Who lives up in the Santa Cruz mountains and whose trunk would be sawed down by my husband.

Amidst planning my wintry holiday memory, I realized I had lost my mind:
Taking a two-hour round trip and chasing toddlers in the cold
Sounded as appealing as eating a bowlful of mold.

So off to Home Depot all of us toured
Where a quick half hour later we procured
A beautiful Noble Fir with needles as fresh as the smell of a forest.

Between snacking on Wheat Thins and chugging water,
The boys and I agreed that we had found a winner. ---SM